Help! Councilling Dressing

[Transboy]

Hi Girls,

I have posted before about going to my councilling session dressed but i havent had the bottle to do it, I have mentioned it to my councillor and she said it would be a great idea to go dressed up.

But my problem is i want to go but im scared and also do i go in my skirt or not...?

Advise needed please..

[sandra-leigh]

You could take a skirt with you and decide at the last minute, changing in the washroom just before the session if you decided to go through with it.

I have gone dressed to more of my therapy sessions than not.

[Jenniferathome]

You are not surprising anyone and certainly not hurting anyone, what's the real concern. Most fear going out due to the unknown reactions of the public at large. You know that your therapist is ready to see you. Fear not.

[Sometimes Steffi]

I've done it numerous times and with several different therapists. I usually changed in a bathroom near or at the therapists office.

The first therapist discouraged it, so I didn't.

The second therapist allowed it, but was basically non-commital. I did dress spoerdically. She was non-judgemental in that she neither encouraged me nor repremanded me when I did go dressed.

The third one always complemented me on my dressing and appearance so I dressed for every session and took great pleasure in picking out a new style for each appointment. I went in everything from jeans to leather mini skirt.

The last one was somewhat encouraging. I always saw two people there: the intact "nurse" and the psych. The intake nurse was ultimately cool about it, and the psych was encouraging. Unfortunately, the cool intake nurse left for another job and the psych kind of cooled on it since she also sees my wife and was afraid we might run into each other. This was the only place where that had a waiting room. The othes were basically one person shops.

So, if you have permission, I say do it. If you're scared, start samll with girl jeans and T or tank top and then move up from there.

[Transboy]

thanks girls its my last session...but i dont see the point of dressing if i cant wear a short skirt and heels

[Sometimes Steffi]

You can wear whatever you'tr brave enough to wear. For me, discretion is the better part of vslor.

[Stephanie Miller]

You make it sound as though the therapist is requesting you to dress up on her account. I think you have it wrong. She doesn't need to see you dressed - you need to do it so YOU can get something out of it. Just what that is? I don't know. Maybe the therapist thinks you have some need to have an excuse to break out of a shell or something and this is a way of doing it. You holding back on expressing thoughts or something to her and think dressing would give you the push?

[audreyinalbany]

Interesting thread because for me this ties into another current thread, the one about dressing 'age-appropriately." The last time I saw my therapist (who specializes in gender identity) I was dressed. At the end of the session, I asked her for her honest opinion of how I looked. She said I looked 'pretty good," but that my skirt was probably too short. "Not," she pointed out, "that there's anything wrong with that." In fact she said my legs looked great. But she said it probably would attract attention.

[Annaliese]

Just Stocking an heels will get you arrested

[sandra-leigh]

but i dont see the point of dressing if i cant wear a short skirt and heels

If you need to, take heels with you as well as the skirt. And pantyhose if you want that too.

I see two therapists. Both of them have waiting rooms, one because there are massage and other therapists in the same building, the other because it has a bunch of therapists (that one has a receptionist too.) I wear skirt or dress openly in both waiting rooms. The second place, group of therapists, often has younger people around (age 5 - 15), as two of the therapists there specialize in therapy for young people. I have never had a problem either place, including not from the children (they seldom do more than glance at me the same way anyone looks around a room to see who is there); and not one of the parents has made any fuss or any kind of motion or "dirty look" to "protect their child".

Do not imagine that the non-reaction is because I "pass" as female. I don't. I am one of the worst people around for getting "read". However, there is a different kind of "passing", which is that people do not perceive anything "wrong" with what I am doing, a point were people glance over and just perceive you being you, and if they think about you at all, it is to wonder how much trouble you are having solving that Soduku puzzle you are working on. Getting to that point takes getting out repeatedly. And you have to start somewhere.

[AllieSF]

It seems to be a little confusing to me, Transboy. You want to go dressed in a skirt and heels, your therapist is suggesting that you do, and it is your last session. Are you going for gender issues or other issues. If for other reasons and you only have one session left, it really doesn't make a difference what you do. If it is for gender issues, then if you feel uncomfortable going dressed in female clothes, why is it your last session? It appears that maybe you could use some additional help to maybe get you to accept yourself and how you want to dress, and then dress that way when you want. Doing that with her is a safe haven and may help you in the long run.

Now, tongue in cheek, I think that skirt should be short, red and very appropriate for the venue and your age. It is in "The" book!.

[LaraPeterson]

Now I know why I'm always so confused. . .I've never seen a therapist. Transboy, do what is good for YOU; therapist or not, the fear will always be fear until you face it. You cannot face this fear carrying it on a hanger.